1. Why Carbon?
AP Bio – Campbell Ch. 4

2. Why study Carbon? All of life is built on carbon Cells ~____% H2O
~____% carbon compounds
carbohydrates
lipids
proteins
nucleic acids
~___% salts
Na, Cl, K…
Why do we study carbon -- is it the most abundant element in living organisms?
H & O most abundant
C is the next most abundant

3. No…Not organic like THIS… We’re talking organic CHEMISTRY!
Why Study Carbon?
Carbon is the centerpiece of all organic compounds
Organic vs. Inorganic?
No…Not organic like THIS…
We’re talking organic CHEMISTRY!

4. Organic vs. Inorganic Organic compounds Inorganic compounds
Contain ____________
With _____________
____________ in size
____________ in structure
Inorganic compounds
____ carbon
Or just an atom or two with NO hydrogen
Example: ______
____________
Water

5. C atoms are GREAT _________________
Okay…so carbon is important…but WHY CARBON?? Why not some other element??
C atoms are GREAT _________________
Carbon chemistry = organic chemistry
Why is it a foundational atom?
What makes it so important?
Can’t be a good building block if you only form 1 or 2 bonds. H C H H H

6. C atoms are great tinkertoys??!! What the heck does THAT mean?
It means they are GREAT __________ ____________ for LARGER, more COMPLEX molecules
Ok…WHY?
It all has to do with those ALL important _______________ electrons!!

7. Carbon’s Valence Electrons
Atomic number = 6
6 protons and 6 electrons in neutral atom
2 electrons in first shell
____electrons in outer shell
Half way to being full; Half way to being empty…
Not particularly eager to either _______ or ________ electrons
Readily forms very nice, strong covalent bonds with UP TO ___ other atoms
Carbon has ___“hands to hold”
_____ valence electrons that readily engage in ___________________ bonds

8. Carbon ________
Carbon atoms can “hold hands” with other ________ atoms to make long chains
Called Carbon Skeletons or Backbones.
These chains often act as the “scaffolding” on which complex organic molecules are made.

9. Complex molecules assembled like TinkerToys
Like sugars: C6H12O6
But can be arranged in different ways
-glucose
-galactose
-dextrose

10. Carbon Chains
These chains can be
____________
Variety!

11. These carbon chains are called ___________________
methane (simplest HC)
Combinations of ___ & ____
C & H share electrons very “nicely” and _____________
Both their outer shells are only “______ full”
Results in ________________ covalent bonds
not soluble in H2O (water likes to bond with polar things)
Thus hydrocarbons are _______________________
stable
very little attraction between molecules
a gas at room temperature

12. Hydrocarbon Chains
While these hydrocarbon chains can be almost infinitely long, they are very “boring”…
That is, they lack complexity which is a hallmark of organic compounds.
How do we achieve complexity with these fairly simple (though perhaps long) carbon skeletons?
______________________________________

13. What are Functional Groups?
Groups of atoms that have certain characteristic properties
For example: Some may be polar or non polar
These properties are retained regardless of where it is “hung” on a carbon skeleton
The nature of each functional group and its particular placement on a carbon skeleton can cause the molecule to ______ and __________ with other molecules in MANY different ways.
_________________!!
Accessorize,
Accessorize…

14. Functional Groups Create Diversity of Molecules
Substitute a functional group (group of atoms) around a carbon (in place of a boring old hydrogen)
____________ vs. _____________
H replaced by an ______________ (–OH)
___________ vs. ____________
biological effects!
ethane (C2H6)
ethanol (C2H5OH)

15. Functional groups
Parts of organic molecules that are involved in chemical reactions
give organic molecules ________________ __________________
 hydroxyl  amino
 carbonyl  sulfhydryl
 carboxyl  phosphate
Affect reactivity – For example…
Can make hydrocarbons hydrophilic
Can increase hydrocarbon solubility in water

16. with Functional groups
Fill in circles
with Functional groups
Viva la difference!
Basic structure of male & female hormones is ___________________
__________________ carbon skeleton
attachment of ____________ functional groups
interact with different targets in the body
different effects
For example the male and female hormones, testosterone and estradiol, differ from each other only by the attachment of different functional groups to an identical carbon skeleton.

17. ____________________
–_______
organic compounds with OH = ________
names typically end in -ol
___________________

18. ___________________ __________ O double bonded to C
if C=O at end molecule = _____________
if C=O in middle of molecule = ________

19. Carboxyl ______________
C double bonded to O & single bonded to OH group
compounds with COOH = ___________
__________________

20. _______________ -________ N attached to 2 H
compounds with NH2 = ____________
________________________
NH2 acts as _____________
ammonia picks up ______ from solution

21. __________________ ______ S bonded to H
compounds with SH = ___________
SH groups _____________ the structure of ________________

22. ________________ _________ P bound to 4 O connects to C through an O
lots of O = lots of ___________ charge
highly ____________
transfers ______ between organic molecules
__________, GTP, etc.

23. Isomers
Molecules with same molecular formula but different structures (shapes)
different chemical properties
different biological functions
Same formula but different structurally & therefore different functionally. Molecular shape determines biological properties.
Ex. Isomers may be ineffective as medicines
6 carbons
6 carbons
6 carbons

24. Form affects function
Structural differences create important functional significance
amino acid alanine
L-alanine used in proteins
but not D-alanine
medicines
L-version active
but not D-version
sometimes with tragic results…
stereoisomers

25. Form affects function Thalidomide
prescribed to pregnant women in 50s & 60s
reduced morning sickness, but…
stereoisomer caused severe birth defects

26. Building Blocks of Life
Macromolecules
Building Blocks of Life

27. Macromolecules ___________ molecules(as molecules go)
Some composed of 1000s of atoms
Extremely _____________
_____________ is often CRITICAL to function
Most biological molecules are MACROmolecules
This does NOT mean that smaller and/or inorganic molecules are unimportant.
Think _______________!

28. Making Macromolecules…
Smaller organic molecules join together to form larger molecules
_____________________________

29. ____________________
Long molecules built by linking repeating building blocks in a chain = polymerization
________________
___________________
repeated ______ units
_______________
Link monomers
H2O HO H
• great variety of polymers can be built from a small set of monomers
• monomers can be connected in many combinations like the 26 letters in the alphabet can be used to create a great diversity of words
• each cell has millions of different macromolecules

30. How to ________ a polymer
___________________________
joins monomers by taking ______ out
one monomer donates OH–
other monomer donates H+
together these form H2O
requires _____ & ________
H2O HO H
enzyme
Dehydration synthesis
___________ ________

31. How to break down a polymer
________________
use ______ to ____________ polymers
______________ of dehydration synthesis (“put the water back”)
cleave off one monomer at a time
H2O is split into H+ and OH–
H+ & OH– attach to ends
requires ___________
_____________ energy
H2O HO H
enzyme
Most macromolecules are polymers
• build:
condensation (dehydration) reaction
• breakdown:
hydrolysis
An immense variety of polymers can be built from a small set of monomers
Hydrolysis
_________

32. Any Questions??